The traditional British pronunciation is [harr-us] with the stress on the first syllable, but in the 1970s the American [h'-rass] with a weaker first syllable began to be heard, and has since become very common, to the annoyance of some who keep to the traditional British pronunciation.
The star, which was added to the flag in 1793, initially had more than five points. The star may represent the Morning Star mentioned in the Koran. Effective date: 5 June 1936.